Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present.

People often describe sounds of “ringing in the ears”, hissing, roaring, buzzing, whooshing, and chirping.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly 15% of the general public — over 45 million Americans — experience some form of tinnitus.

While tinnitus is a symptom of a wide range of conditions, it is most frequently the result of some level of hearing loss.

When evaluating tinnitus cases, audiologists use a supplemental set of tests. While there is currently no way to objectively test for tinnitus, there are several protocols to measure the patient’s subjective perception of tinnitus sound, pitch, and volume.